Pasts and Present
by Yet-Another-Weasley
Summary: Grissom and Sara are invited to attend a seminar in New York, but something happens that will change Sara forever. GS
1. Philadelphia International Airport

Title:

Description: Grissom and Sara are invited to attend a seminar in New York, but something happens that will change Sara forever. GS

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI… and I don't own the idea for this story _entirely_. It ----was…inspired by Cold Burn (A CSI novel) D but I'm not stealing ideas, I was just inspired by it… so please don't sue me!

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They were meeting one of Grissom's friends at the Philadelphia International Airport. From there, they would drive up through New Jersey to their hotel, a little ways from the Big Apple. So far, the plane ride had been smooth. She sat next to Grissom, who pleaded her to let him sit by the window. Thankful, she agreed; heights weren't her thing. So, for the past four and a half hours, she sat there, reading the latest forensics journal and a short mystery novel. It was quite relaxing, except for the movie that was playing. She was not wearing the headphones, but the person in front of her had their volume turned up so high that she could hear it quite clearly.

Finally, the movie ended and a half an hour after that, they were arriving at their destination. A voice came over the loudspeaker, "Hell everyone. Shortly, we will be landing at the Philadelphia International Airport. I hope everyone had enjoyed the flight. Right now I am asking that all passengers and staff remain seating, lock trays in their upright positions, return chairs to their upright positions, and buckle your seat belts for landing. Thank-you."

Sara did as the man asked and then turned to look past Grissom and out the window, sneaking a peek at the ground below, even though she had been afraid to look out before. It definitely didn't look like Las Vegas. She saw town houses and peoples pools and got a glimpse of the Delaware River which was gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight. She was glad to get a sight of something besides that mountains and desert of Nevada.

Grissom also looked up from what he was doing to look out the window before they were on the ground again. As they got closer to the ground and were landing, he commented, "I wonder what traffic will be like in the most densely populated state…"

Sara nodded, "But if your friend lives in the area, I'm sure they know the quickest way around and all the short cuts. Traffic was a bit of a problem back in California, but if you know the back roads to everything it isn't half bad."

He said nothing else until they were getting off the plane at the airport.

"You excited to be on the east coast?" Sara asked.

"I suppose; although it's just another seminar in another place; nothing new there. What's the weather like?"

"Well, seeing as its January, I suspect it's in the teens, twenties, thirties, or forties, but it could be in the fifties." Sara shrugged.

"I guess I should have brought a heavier jacket, huh?"

"Yeah, and some gloves would be helpful too if it's really cold. You know, for someone so smart, you can be dense sometimes." She laughed.

"How come in Las Vegas you never laugh, but now that's we're in Philadelphia you're smiling and laughing?"

Inside she warmed up by his comment, but she didn't show it, "Hey, is that your friend over there?"

She motioned towards a man who was standing in a doorway, an older man, Grissom's age maybe, wearing glasses and a grey jacket.

"Yeah, it is." He picked up both his and Sara's suit case and Sara carried the carry-ons as they walked over to meet the man.

"Hello Gil, good to see you again." The man greeted.

"Hi, how are you?" Then Grissom pointed to Sara, "This is my colleague, Sara Sidle."

"Hello," he greeted Sara, "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too…?"

"Oh sorry, my name is Sam Tyler. We should probably get going, it's about a two and a half- three hour drive to New York and at rush hour it maybe take us longer than that even to get out of the city. Do you two have all your bags and everything?"

"Yes," Grissom replied, "I guess we should be getting a move on then."

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The man was right, there was heavy traffic and it took then a near half hour to get out of Philly and across the Walt Whitman Bridge into New Jersey. Still, Sara thought Philadelphia was amazing. She watched the sun set behind the Philadelphia skyline. The sun glinted off of the buildings in center city and finally disappeared into the horizon. When the sun was finally set and the black of night was coming over the world, she looked up to see a sky full of stars, something she hadn't seen for years because the light of all the casinos made it impossible to see anything in the sky.

Soon, they were in the Pine Barrens. The road they were now on, Route 206, was empty and they saved a lot of time and Sara got a view of nature. Sara was especially fascinated. She had never seen so many Oak and Pine Trees and beautiful cascading lakes where the moon's reflection glimmered across the blue water. After a while, she drifted off to sleep, tired from the plane ride.

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"Sara?" Grissom said gently, "Wake up."

Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Grissom standing outside the opened car door.

"We're in New York City. We don't have to check in the hotel for a while if we don't want to, so Sam decided to stop and show us New York City for a little bit and take a break from driving."

Sara got up and blinked a few times to adjust to the darkness. She got out of the car and went with Grissom and his friend. They stood looking into the harbor and at the Statue of Liberty and Sara was amazed still. She didn't want to come on this trip, but she was glad to be in a different setting and to be seeing such amazing sites.

"Wow," she said, "I always wanted to see New York City, but with school and everything up in Boston I never got time to take time off and visit."

A few minutes later, after a stop at a bagel shop and a quick bathroom break they were back on the road again. Sara, now fully refreshed, gazed out at the dying lights as the city shrunk further and further back behind them. Finally, they arrived at the Fairview Hotel.


	2. Thinking

Summary: Something happens… this chapter isn't that long...but it has a suspenseful ending…

Disclaimer: Still don't own CSI…didn't think you thought I did anyway…

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The hotel was huge. The building itself stretched over several acres of ground and there was a small river that ran by its side. Canoes in racks by the rivers shores awaited tourists who would wake up tomorrow to start their day. The three of them walked up to the front desk and signed in.

"Here are your keys," the woman at the front desk told them. "You'll be staying in room 207, 112, and 335. Enjoy your stay at the Fairview Hotel. Call room service or the front desk if you are in need of any assistance."

As they started walking towards the elevator, Sara asked, "Who gets what room?"

"It really doesn't matter does it, but I'll take the one on the third floor if you'd like."

"I'll take the room on the second floor and I guess you get 112, Griss," Sara said, pressing the buttons marked 1, 2, and 3 on the elevator wall.

"Sure, sounds good," Grissom replied, "I guess I'll see you later. We could meet in the lobby in two hours." Sara and Sam nodded their heads and Grissom stepped off the elevator onto the floor.

The rest of the ride was silent; Sara didn't know Grissom's friend and was keen on talking to people she didn't know unless it was for a case. So, when it was her turn to get off, she nodded at him silently and stepped off with her luggage to begin searching for her room. According to the floor plan on the wall, her room was down the hall and to the left on the very end and by the looks of it, she'd be looking out at the river.

_Finally, some peace and quiet alone time, _she thought as she set her stuff down on the bed and looked around, surveying the room where she'd be staying for the week, _Looks nice enough. There's a full sized bed, a small couch by a fireplace, shower, bath, TV. Looks good. _She unpacked her things and laid down on the bed, pulling the covers over her and drifting off to sleep.

Two and a half hours later, she woke up to someone knocking at her door.

"I'll be right there," she said and peered down at her watched to see that she was half an hour late to meet Grissom and his friend downstairs. "Shit," she mumbled to herself as she pulled on a sweater and threw on her shoes.

She opened the door to find Grissom standing there. "Sorry," she said, "I over slept. I guess that plane ride made me tired."

"No problem, Sam hasn't shown up yet either so after waiting for a while I figured I'd come up and find your rooms."

Sara locked her door and put the room key in her pocket.

"Well, I guess we should go check up on him, too, then," Sara said simply and then they walked back to the elevators.

Starting up conversation, Grissom commented, "When downstairs in the lobby I saw a small café. If you and Sam and hungry we could go grab something to eat and then check out the place and see where exactly we're headed tomorrow and at what time."

"Sounds good," Sara said, "And then I'm heading back up to my room. For a hotel, the bed was comfortable and clean."

"You checked to make sure everything was sterile?"

"Down to the last tile in the shower," Sara said, a small smile growing upon her face.

"Well, I'm glad to know I'm in a clean hotel," Grissom laughed.

The elevator stopped abruptly and the doors opened to let them onto the third floor of the building. From there they found Sam's room and Grissom rapped softly.

"Be right with you," the man in the room said and within a minute or two he unlocked the door. "Gil, Sara, sorry I was late. I unpacked and then settled down to watch the football game. Time sure does fly when you're enjoying a good football game, especially when the last time you watched TV was a month and a half ago."

Grissom only nodded, not fully understanding Sam's enjoyment of watching a football game; though he figured that it would equal the enjoyment of watching the discovery channel to him. He and his friend had certainly changed since they last saw each other, which was some time ago.

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Down at the café, Sara decided to let the two men sit by themselves; she, on the other hand, sat by a window where she could look out the window and think. She sipped at the steaming hot coffee and slipped into her mind.

_I wonder what's going on at the lab right now; it would be 7:46 out there. Greg and Sophia have to work double to pull our weight because Ecklie won't bring in someone from swing shift and day shift is already down one man. But, perhaps Greg and Sophia are better off without **me** and maybe I needed a break, even if it still is business. Greg will have Sophia to show him the ropes; isn't she more experienced anyway? And I'm sure she won't mind that I'm not there and I'm glad Grissom is here away from her, I think. None of this makes any sense. _

She found that for some reason, staring in the window and seeing Grissom's reflection, made her think of everything.

_There I am, there he is. I feel something and I know he had to, too. Nothing happens. _

_There she is, there he is. Is something happening? _

_The way they talk and get along and when they sat in his office discussing some book I felt as though he had moved from me, what he'd given up on before anything happened, and wants to take a chance with her. Or is this all in my head? Did he really have something for me or was I just imagining and thinking so much I actually thought that was happening? _

She tried to stop herself, but the years kept playing back through her mind. That first time they met, her first day in Las Vegas, the plant, the explosion, the decline, that case, the DUI, the regret, Sophia, the team getting split. It all kept playing over and over and it almost made her dizzy as the images danced around her in the room, in her mind. It wasn't until someone came over and said her name that she shuddered, nearly spilled her coffee on herself, and then zoned back in to reality.

"Sara?" Grissom asked.

"Hmm?" she mumbled and then saw his reflection in the glass and turned around, "Sorry."

"Are you alright?"

"I guess I'm still tired." She got up from her chair, "You don't mind if I head up to my room early, do you?"

"No, not at all. I guess I'll talk to you in the morning then. If you need anything, just call."

Nodding, Sara picked up her coffee cup and said goodnight to Grissom and his friend before heading back upstairs. It was relatively short trip and silent as well. The only person in the lobby, other than herself, was the receptionist behind the grey marble counter. The elevator ride was no different than any other and she stepped out onto the second floor, finding it empty, but nevertheless, the she found it eerily quiet. Perhaps it wasn't empty.

_Breathing, was that breathing?_ She asked herself, keeping her ears keen for any noise, though she was sure it had to be room service picking up someone's dishes or refreshing the towel stock of a room. _There it is again; breathing._ She felt at her waist for her gun, only to remember that she hadn't had it on her since they left Las Vegas.

She heard breathing, still, but that didn't matter anymore. A pang of dizziness came over her and her body dropped to the floor.

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	3. Tears

Disclaimer: Don't own CSI, never will…that just about sums it up

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Grissom and Sam left the café and in spite of the fact that Grissom wanted to check on Sara, Sam persuaded him that she was fine and they should probably get a sense of where they'd be headed tomorrow. Both men located a map on the wall and asked the woman at the desk for some information. In a short amount of time, they had successfully found the rooms they would be going to and they even got an agenda of what was going on at what time. Finally glad that they could go back to their rooms, he and Sam got on the elevator once more.

"I thought you're room was on the first floor," Sam said to Grissom when he saw Grissom tagging along behind him.

"That's correct, but it's also correct that Sara's room is on the _second_ floor."

"This Sara, you have feelings for her?" Grissom's friend asked, "Or had you shunned away your feelings so you could focus all your attention on working? I see you haven't changed."

Grissom sighed, "Caught red handed, I guess. I had a chance, but I blew it. When it comes to my personal life, I fail miserably."

"Well, I figured you were never good with women, ever since that double date I took you on and you grossed out your date when you started talking about Dung Beetles at the table."

Grissom half-smiled, recalling the horrendous incident that now was slightly hilarious, "I think I've learned from my mistakes. Now, I take a liking to women who don't mind my bug obsession."

Sam laughed, "I believe this is your floor?"

Grissom nodded and exited the elevator and hurried to Sara's room. He knocked on the door, but unlike last time, he did not receive a response quickly.

"Sara? It's Grissom, are you awake?' He called, but soon noticed that the door was opened and he pushed the door in to find her hotel room empty.

"Sara?" He called again, still receiving no response.

Calming himself down, he went to her bedroom door, expecting her to be asleep, but no Sara was lying in bed; it was completely empty.

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Where was she? Her wrists were bound and so were her ankles. In the dark, she lay, confused and scared.

_Am I dreaming? Maybe this is all some nightmare and I'm back at the hotel room fast asleep. _

It was cold and she was shivering uncontrollably; all she had one was a pair of jeans and a red tank top and that wasn't very good for keeping warm. The ground beneath her was damp and uncomfortable, though she didn't expect whoever put her there would care about that.

_Who did this to me? Where am I? Where's Grissom or his friend? What time is it? _

There were so many questions, but no answers. Had she been left there to die of thirst and starvation? Or was someone going to come back for her to hurt her or kill her?

_Why me? Am I going to end up on one of those metal tables being dissected and torn apart by Doc Robbins? Will Grissom and the team have to work a case with me as the unlucky victim? I didn't screw up my life and expect it to end like this…_

Tears ran down her cheeks as she heard a door creak open.

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	4. Past

Disclaimer: Hmm... I own some **C**rayons, some **S**andals, and some** I**ce, but not **CSI**. Haha

I know the last chapter ended weird; I was having some trouble with it, but I think I know where I'm going with it now. D

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He paced her room so many times that his legs grew weak and he needed to sit down. And so he did. His hand glided gently over the floral fabric that covered the bed. He felt where her feet laid not long ago when she dozed off during reading a book. He saw her ghostly apparition there, but it was only a picture in his mind and soon drifted away.

After a few hours of waiting, she had not returned and he his mind was going haywire. How many possibilities were there? He had no evidence, no information and yet, he went against all those times he said not to jump to conclusions, and let his mind leap ahead of his logical thinking.

He pictured her dead, like that body they had found two years ago; the body that made him realize so much. He pictured her with a gag in her mouth and her hands and ankles bound. He pictured her in so many predicaments that she would never be able to get herself out of and he wasn't there to help her. He was just sitting there, hoping that these fates had not come upon her.

After a while, he grew so exhausted and frustrated. The next thing he knew, he woke up to find himself laying on the hotel bed in Sara's room and the clock on the night table read 6:00.

"Sara?" he asked the silence, hoping to hear her voice in response.

It was not her voice, but the familiar silence that answered him.

_Where is she? What have I done? It's my fault if anything happens to her; I just let her go back up there to her room, by herself. I could have gone up with her, made sure she got up there alright. But I was too afraid; too afraid to show her that I cared about her, too afraid to see her reaction to anything I ever said or did to lead her on to my faulty emotions. Is this all happening now because of all those times since I invited her to Las Vegas? Did I have this coming all along?_

He got out his cell phone and called Sara's number. It rang. A sense of joy came over Grissom as he waited for Sara to pick up, but that joy was quickly diminished when he found it was not Sara whose voice came over the line.

"Hello," a voice said. It was that of a man; the tone was deep and slightly muffled to protect his identity.

"Who is this?" Grissom asked assertively, "And where is Sara Sidle?"

"I'm sorry; she can't come to the phone right now. Can I take a message?" the man laughed.

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Sara was sitting in a corner, leaned up against the cold wall. She heard the man talk, but even she didn't know who he was or what he wanted. Despite all of her attempts, the most noise she could make was some muffled cries, due to the rag which was choking her.

"I think Sara wants to talk to you," the man said and she took the phone over to her.

"Sara!" Grissom yelled into the phone, "If you can here me, I'm sorry. This is all my fault, but I won't let him hurt you."

She heard him loud and clear and instead of giving up and not trying to speak, she did, "Grissom!" She yelled as loud as she could over the gag, even though it didn't entirely sound like "Grissom," it was good enough.

But that was all she could say, for her assailant snapped the call phone closed, not willing to let Sara give away any information.

"Who are you?" she mumbled through the saliva covered cloth.

"Don't you remember me?" the man asked, "Don't you remember Harvard or I am just a tiny speck of dust that you left behind when you moved west?"

As much as she wanted to forget, she knew quite clearly who the man was now. She'd "dated" him for a while, just to have someone who would care for her. It took dating him to realize that men weren't worth getting involved with, that men were scum who would always treat her the same way.

Everything from those years flashed into her mind so clearly now:

There she was, 19 years old and sitting in the hallway on the stairs by herself, reading a book and minding her own business. From behind her, she felt someone come near and noticed a shadow cast on the marble floor in front of her. She turned around.

"Sara, right?" the guy asked. He was older than her and did not seem of her intelligence, but he looked like the kind of jock that any girl would be dying to date. "I've seen you around before; in fact, I see you a lot."

She simply nodded, quite speechless that a man, let alone anyone, was speaking to her.

"How about you come over my place sometime? It'll be a date."

Stupidly, and as if everything she had ever learned was erased from her mind, she took up his offer and later that night, she went on the date.

The first date was fine. They had dinner and talked, but she knew he wasn't like this. She saw something coming, but she couldn't stop herself. She was a girl, determined to find love, even though she found it in the wrong places.

The dates continued for a month or so and then he tried to rape her, but during the last moment possible, she fought back and didn't let him destroy her life more than he had.

Now, sitting there in the dark, with the gag in her mouth, she knew what he wanted to do to her. She had made his life hell when he went to jail because of what he did in their college years and when he heard that she was coming to the North East, he was determined to finish the task which he tried to accomplish before.

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Yeah… that was a quick chapter. I'll update soon.

A few people have read my other story "How are you?" I need time to think about that and where its going, but if I get something good and I can work with it, then I might pick that up again when this story is completed that is uncertain… seeing as I don't have this prewritten or thoroughly planned out but, that story will be completed, sooner or later.

Thanks for reading and reviewing... It is all greatly appreciated D )


	5. Fingerprints

Disclaimer: I know some **C**arols, own some **S**hoes, and like to _**I**talicize_ words, but I don't own **CSI**. The only reason I write this disclaimer is because its fun... like anyone would actually think _I_ owned CSI. ;D

Thanks for reviews. I'm glad everyone likes this so far. Thanks for reading!

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Grissom sat there in shock out of what had just happened. The phone slipped out of his hand and hit the floor, thudding into the soft rug. He was determined to find her, and before it was too late. Getting up, the picked his cell phone off the floor and called Sam; just about the only person he could think of calling right then.

"Sam?" Grissom asked and before his friend could respond, he plunged into the whole ordeal.

Silence.

"Sam, I need your help. Please."

"Yeah," there was concern in his friend's voice, "I'll be right down."

They met in the lobby and tried to decide what to do.

"There was nothing useful in her room, besides that the fact that the door was open, but I didn't see any evidence of foul play in there."

"Fingerprints. After we figure out what to do, dust for prints and see if there's anything unusual."

"Yes," Grissom said, "Before I called you, I was on the phone with her. She has her cell phone with her, if he didn't destroy it or shut it off. If we can contact the nearest lab, we could try to see if we can find her location by GPS. Sam, we don't have much time."

He looked deeply at his worried friend, "Never, in all the time that we've known each other, have I seen you in a state like this."

"Come on," Grissom grabbed his coffee from the counter and stood up, "We should go. I'll ask the front desk if I can get in contact with the police department and you work on the doorknob fingerprints."

"I'm on it."

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He had left her alone for some hours now, but at least he hadn't done anything to her yet. "Yet," the word fumbled around in her mind; she could only imagine what he was going to do to her body. She hoped Grissom would find her before that happened.

For now, though, she was chained to ground, although he had taken the gag out of her mouth so he could force the sleeping pills down her throat nine hours before. When she woke up from that, he was nowhere to be found and she was still laying on the floor, alive. She tried to get up, but it did no good. She was trapped there until either he came back, or Grissom found her.

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Sam made his way up to the second floor with his kit and found Sara's room, the door still ajar. Before doing anything, he put on the latex gloves and had a look around. As Grissom had said, there was nothing. It seemed as if Sara had simply left the door open by mistake and then her assailant took her somewhere else. That meant that this wasn't the crime scene.

Never the less, he fingerprinted the front doorknob and then proceeded out into the hallway. The only two exits on this floor were the stairwell to the left and the stairwell and elevators to the right.

_Think, Sam, think. If you had come and kidnapped a woman, would you take her down the stairs or black out cameras in the elevator and get her down that way, assuming that they are on a lower floor or completely out of the building. Elevators seem the most logical choice; If he knocked her out, he could have carried her in his arms, for she didn't seem as if she would be very heavy, and it would seem on a camera as if a husband were merely carrying his wife to their room on an upper or lower level. So, he knocks her out, carries her into the elevator and then what? What floor did he go to? _

Sam did these things as he thought of them. He got in the elevator and examined the buttons. Altogether, there were four floors, the basement, ground floor, second floor, and third floor. Nothing clicked, not yet. He dusted the elevator for prints and then got off on the first floor and dusted for prints on the keys in the other elevator. Then, he took it back up to the second floor.

He dusted the elevator call button and started searching the area. After getting ready to think that she hadn't even been taken from this point, he saw something on the rug. It was a tiny piece of glass sitting on top the fabric. He bagged it and went back to Sara's room and searched again to find something he missed; a broken wine glass just barely noticeable, peeking out from under the floral bedspread.

_So, someone was here, but they didn't find what they had expected. _The image flashed though his mind as if it were happening around him.

**_He got the door open using the key he stole off of the maid's cart he walked by earlier that day. To anyone else in the hallway that might have seen him, it was as if he was simply returning to his room early in the night. Nothing suspicious there, but what they didn't know, was that he had something planned for the occupant of the room, his old college sweetheart. Closing the door behind him, he crept silently down the short hall, checking the bathroom and kitchen without finding his victim. He took a sip from his wine glass and then stuck his head out to view the rest of the room; no one to be found._**

"**_Damn her!" He finished his drink and threw it aside, making it shatter, "Sara!" _**

_**Reluctantly, he stepped outside into the hallway and headed for the elevators. Something amazing happened, at least something amazing to him; Sara Sidle stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway. She walked forward, but then stopped. Had she heard him? He thought. She turned around, examining the hall and so he took the chance. He grabbed the rag from his pocket and crept into the hallway and snuck up on her. Finally, he wrapped the rag around her faced and in a few moments she collapsed into his arms; she was his now. **_

_**Now, the escape, he dragged her into the elevator and blacked out the camera that stood in the corner watching him. He had won. **_

_It seems the most plausible idea, but where did he take her afterwards? Did he take her to the ground floor and through the lobby to his vehicle or is he still somewhere in the building, hiding her? _

He went back to the elevator and checked the buttons again. Before, he had gotten prints off of all buttons except the basement and on the other elevator he had gotten one partial from the basement button.

_The basement! _He thought and pulled out his cell to contact Grissom.

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Next chapter should be up soon D

Thanks for reading.


	6. Finding Sara

Disclaimer: I still own nothing related to CSI… oh well, I can dream, can't I?

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Grissom's phone rang and it scared him half to death.

"Gil," he stated simply, anxious to see who was calling, but not allowing himself to get his hopes up.

"Gil, its Sam. I think I may know where Sara is, but I want you to be here and I probably could use some backup."

He pulled over to the side of the road and turned his car around; he'd been driving to the police office after he stopped at a small store to pick up a few things.

"I'll be right there, don't do anything without me."

"Sure. Look, I'll meet you in the front lobby. When are you going to get here?"

"Fifteen minutes at the most." His heart was racing; if they found Sara, it would be the happiest moment in his entire life.

"Alright, I'll wrap up what I'm doing here and go tell the front desk that you and I won't be able to make it to the seminar which is in about forty five minutes. If they ask why, I'll simply tell them personal events have come up. Gil, I hope we aren't too late."

"More than anything. I'll talk to you when I get there."

They hung up the phone and Grissom pulled away from the side of the road and drove as fast as he could, within the speed limit, back to the hotel.

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The darkness of it all was washed away by the fleeting light which came about the room as a door was unlocked and then pushed open.

"Richard, please, don't hurt me," Sara begged as the man came over and stood above her.

"You can't fight back now, can you, Sara?" he laughed.

"Please," she continued, "Don't do this." Inside, she wished Grissom would show up and stop this from happening. He was out there somewhere, trying to figure it all out; she knew he was trying, but it would be too late when he found her.

The man came towards her and she could do nothing to stop him.

"Sara Sidle, you should have given in those long years ago. You were so beautiful."

"You make me sick," she spat, though she knew it would only make things worse.

"Good."

Then he finished what he had attempted to do during his college years and then he left her there, still tied up.

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It was thirteen minutes later that Grissom pulled up into the parking lot and practically ran into the hotel lobby to find his friend.

"Sam," he said as he noticed his friend throwing away a coffee cup.

"Gil, let's go. Okay," they started off towards the elevators, "Based on what I found, I'm pretty sure he took her to the basement level. He apparently searched her room, finding nothing there because she hadn't gotten there yet and then found her coming off the elevator."

"How do you know this?"

"Wine glass. Then, finding her, he probably snuck up on her and drugged her or knocked her out by force and took her to the lower level."

They got into the empty elevator and rode it down to the basement. The doors opened and they saw nothing; it was nearly in complete darkness save for a small lamp that rested in the corner, covered with dust collected over the years.

Grissom silently searched the room as best he could and found nothing, or did he? The last thing his eyes rested upon was a door that sat far back in the shadows. He got out his mini flashlight and shone it on the floor; footprints. At first, they were barely noticeable, but once a person's eyes just adjusted to the dim light, they were quite clear. In the immense dust, there were three distinguishable prints leading to the door, whose doorknob was also dust free.

"Sara?" Grissom called out and then made his way over to the door, Sam following close behind.

"Sam, cover me," Grissom said and glanced behind him. Weaponless, he advanced forward and turned the knob with his sleeve over his hand to avoid getting his prints on the doorknob.

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Just when Sara thought he had gone, she heard a man's voice ask her name. Her heart started to race faster and faster once more. Was he playing some sick joke on her? Was he coming back to kill her now, after he had just done what he did?

Now, she didn't hear a voice, but light flooded back into the room again and she felt as though her life was over already.

"Sara?" a voice asked the darkness, but it wasn't Richards, it was…

"Grissom!" She called out as best she could and hoped he had heard her.

"Sara," he rushed over to where her voice was coming from and knelt down beside her. Quickly, he cut the rope around her wrists and ankles with a pocket knife and tears ran down her cheeks.

"Grissom," she said, "I thought I was going to die."

He pulled her up into his arms and held her, glad she was alright. Sam, not knowing what to do, printed the doorknob and marked off the footprints. After that, he left to go back to go upstairs and contact the police, leaving Sara and Grissom alone.

"Sara," Grissom asked, "What happened?"

"He must have known I was coming up here. He drugged me and I woke up here and then... he… oh my god, Grissom…"

"Sara, its okay."

"I'm so glad you're here…"

"I'm so sorry this happened. I should have taken you up to your room, and then none of this would have happened."

She was shaking and her face was wet from her tears. "It's not your fault."

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I'll leave it at that for now. Next chapter should be up soon. Thanks for reading D


	7. I love you

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing, except my brain and imagination which helped create this story D

Thanks for reading and the reviews )

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Sam went back up to his room and put the evidence he collected in a drawer in the nightstand and he picked up the phone to call the front desk.

He dialed zero and in a few seconds someone at the front desk answered.

"Hello, how may I help you?" a man on the other end of the line answered.

"Yeah, hello, I need the police and an ambulance. There's an injured woman in the basement and a dangerous man on the loose, so it would be best if you acted quickly. I'll be down in the lobby in a few minutes."

"Sure, are you here for that forensics seminar?"

"Yes, along with Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle."

"Okay, help if on the way."

Sam hung up the phone and made his way out the door, checking to make sure nobody saw him and could figure out he knew anything about Sara's attacker. He made his way down to the front lobby and waited for the police to come.

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Grissom sat there holding Sara who was shaking horribly.

"Sara, it's alright," he tried to calm her down and then his phone rang, "Grissom."

"Hello," a voice on the other line said, "leave her. Leave her where she is and don't call the police."

_What the hell is going on? _He thought _who is this? I need to get Sara out of here._

He hung up the cell phone, "Sara, we need to get upstairs. I'm pretty sure whoever did this to you is coming back."

He helped her up and they walked over to the elevator when Grissom got another call; this time it was only Sam.

"Sam?" Grissom asked.

"Yeah, the police and an ambulance are on the way. Bring Sara up to the lobby; they'll be here any minute."

"Thanks, we're on our way."

"Who was that?" Sara asked.

"Sam. The police are going to be here and so is an ambulance to take you to the hospital."

Sara simply nodded and leaned her head on Grissom's shoulder, "I'm so glad you found me. I can't imagine what would have happened if he had come back."

Grissom could only bring himself to say something he never said to anyone and actually truly meant it; it was something he had wanted to say to Sara for so long, "I love you."

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Just a short chapter, because I just thought I'd end it at that. Next chapter will be up very soon. D


	8. Hospital

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI what so ever... only in so alternate parallel universe.

Thanks for reading and reviews )

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Sara was speechless and didn't say anything until they got up to the lobby and the police came over to them.

"Grissom, I don't want to do this," she said as a paramedic came over to inspect her.

"If you want, I'll come to the hospital with you…"

She nodded, "I don't want to be alone."

Sam now came over to the two of them, "I have the prints and other evidence up in my room. There's no way this guy is getting away with what he did."

"Thanks, Sam," Sara said, still staying close to Grissom.

In a few short minutes, Sam was over talking to the police and Grissom and Sara were in the back of the ambulance, on the way to the hospital.

"Sara, are you going to be okay?" he saw that Sara seemed less scared now and she wasn't shaking as badly as before.

"I'm alive, aren't I? I'll make it through, I did before."

"You were raped before?"

She shook her head, "In my college years. I dated him for about a month or so and then he tried to rape me, but I fought back and ran. I should have told someone, but I was too stupid."

"I'm so sorry."

"What's it going to be like when we go back to Vegas? They're going to find out and what's going to happen between us?"

"They won't find out, it's none of their business what happened here and I'll make sure they don't find out unless you want to tell them."

"No, they don't need to know yet. I'd rather not have the night and swing shift feeling sorry for me and sending me cards to make me feel better; I don't need the attention."

"Yeah, I understand. It's exactly how I felt when I was losing my hearing." They arrived at the hospital, "I'll wait for you in the waiting room." He hugged Sara and went and sat down.

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Grissom received another call on his cell phone. "Grissom," he stated simply.

This time the voice on the other end of the phone was unrecognizable, "You got the police involved in this and now none of you are safe." Shortly after, the phone went dead, signifying that the man hung up.

_What's going on? Who was that? What does he mean that none of us are safe? Sara's here at the hospital, along with me and Sam is back at the hotel with the police, how can none of us be safe? _

When Sara came out a little while later, she seemed a lot better, but Grissom's face was white and he seemed to be zoned out.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked as she took a seat next to him.

After a few moments he lifted his head up and turned to her, "Huh? Oh, sorry. Yeah, I'm fine. I got a phone call."

"From who?"

"Who ever did this to you."

"What did he want?"

"He said that because we got the police, we aren't safe, but that doesn't make any sense. Because we contacted the police, you are safe and so am I and so is Sam. Sara, is there anyone else that he could be referring to?"

"No, no, I don't think so. Do we have to stay here? I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach; I probably need to get some rest." She turned away from him, avoiding his eyes.

"I'll see what I can do; they might not let you go, and I'm not so sure it's a good idea."

"Hospitals aren't my thing, never have been."

She remembered her childhood and everything that happened and then thought about what was happening now; it was enough to make a person think about committing suicide.

_Is there anything more that could happen to me that would make my life worse? Hell, my mother was a drunk who nearly killed me and my father, well I don't even remember what happened to him, and now I was raped by some scum who tried to do this to me back in college. What more can happen to screw up this life? Here I am, sitting in a hospital with Grissom who knows what I went through and is probably feeling sorry for me, thinking about what I went through. I don't need someone imagining what I went through, why does anyone wonder why I never told them about my childhood? I don't need to be pitied; I don't need to go through **this**. _

"Look, we'll be fine. I'm just… not comfortable here."

"Alright, but will you tell me who the man is that did this to you and why he did this to you?"

Sighing, she nodded. _But perhaps it is time that someone heard the truth about my past._

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Another chapter written. Thanks for reviews, I'm glad people like reading my stuff. Wow, I got a lot accomplished today, this is the third or fourth chapter I wrote today and I had to make a Power Point presentation for my honors biology class that's due Wednesday. D Now I can finish "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and start "Grave Matters" or "A Mid Summer Night's Dream."

Will update soon. ) I'm in a mood for writing.


	9. Flashback 1

Disclaimer: If I owned CSI do you think I'd be sitting at my computer writing this? Haha

A/N Yeah, the next few chapters are going to be flashbacks about Sara's past… Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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_She turned seven today, but none of that really mattered. It just seemed like any other ordinary day. She woke up, did chores, packed her lunch, walked to school, did her work, and then came home again. It was always like that, even before she went to school. She'd do her work and then go off somewhere quiet to read and study. Everyday was the same._

_That night at nine o' clock, she put herself to bed, covering her ears with the pillow to drown out the sounds of her parents fighting and drifted of to sleep. Still, sleep provided her no solace for the pain that was brought to her every day of her life. In her nightmarish dream, all way dark and in a corner she sat in the darkness. In her dream, it was if all her thoughts had come true. Crying, she got up and ran from the drunken man that was chasing her down the endless hallway, never catching her, but never letting her too far away. She woke up to the silence of her room, but didn't go running to her mother, god only knew what she would do if Sara came to complain to her. Instead, she closed her eyes once more and wished the dream would go away and wouldn't come true when she awakening in the morning._

_The morning finally came, but today seemed different than all the other days in her life. She woke up and made her bed, but just the aura of the place seemed to give her a horrible feeling. Climbing up on the trunk full of books that sat by the window, she peered out into the front yard and a wave of panic spread through her. She watched as her father, angry as usual, screamed at her mother._

"_You little slut!" he exclaimed, "What the hell do you think you're doing, tramping around with him in all hours of the night? Did you think I wasn't going to find out?!"_

_Sara b it her lip, trying to persuade herself not to scream or draw any attention to the window in which she now stood peering out of, but it made no difference; he saw her._

_He saw her and that's when she knew that trouble was headed her way. Leaving her mother there in the front yard, he slammed the front door of the house and came after her. But she knew now that the house they lived in held hiding places that she had only imagined. Swiftly, the opened her walk-in closet door and tore away a box from the back wall and revealed a hole in the wall. Over the years, this place was the only safe place she knew and it welcomed her. Inside the hole was a small crawlspace that apparently her mother and father had no idea it was even there. Whenever they fought she would curl up inside and wait till they stopped or until the coast was clear. If her parents were looking for her, she would make a break for it and run to the park or to the library if it was opened. _

_Today, though, she came out too early and her father had been waiting in the hallway for her to come out._

_Jumping out, he grabbed her and turned her around to him, slapping her face, "Damn you! What? You think its funny, you standing up here, watching your old man scream at that bitch you call "mother"? You think it's hilarious, don't you!"_

"_N...no," she whimpered, "I wasn't watching; I didn't see anything, I swear."_

"_Attic, now!" He yelled, "I know you're lying, you're just like her! Now go! No dinner, no nothing! You'll stay up there until I say!"_

_Tears forming in her eyes, she ran down the hallway and up the stairs to the attic, glad to be sent away from the man she had to call her father. Usually, getting sent up there wasn't too bad. She got some quality alone time and aside from the spiders, which she had gotten used to, she was able to have fun and play with the junk that lay sitting in the cardboard boxes collecting dust. Now, she went up there and heard him put the padlock on the outside of the door and then she heard his car pull away and the TV downstairs turn on and the fridge open as her mother grabbed another beer. It was going to be a long day._

_And so it was. For hours, she lay up there on her back, counting the nails in the ceiling and playing around with the numbers in her head because there was nothing else to do. Occasionally she would get up and walk around, checking to see if there was anything interesting to do up here, only to be disappointed after she inspected the place four times over. After a while, she fell asleep and woke up four hours later to find the attic pitch black and deathly silent. By now her father would have come up and opened the door; when he was sober and starting to think in a right state of mind, but she went over to check if the door was unlock and found that it wouldn't budge._

_Something was wrong; the house was quiet, an unusual aura filled the place. Her mother and father weren't fighting and the TV wasn't on playing some action movie or anything worse. Still, if her parents were actually sleeping, she would sense their presence, but right now it felt as if she were miles away from anyone. It was a new kind of alone; she was actually alone, alone and locked up in the dark. For the first time in her life, she was afraid._

_A day passed by and still she sat up there, thinking, daydreaming, wondering what was happening outside the locked door, but only silence answered her questions._

_Finally, six days later, with Sara passed out on the floor from hunger and thirst, did the door open. Sara awoke to the sound of a hammer, slamming away against the door knob, trying to break it apart._

"_Hello?" it was a man's voice, but not her fathers. _

_She got up and walked towards the door and knocked on it, not knowing what to say._

_The door knob fell off and the door opened, letting in light and Sara saw the figure of a man standing there. _

"_Oh my god, are you alright?" he was a police officer and Sara felt relieved. "Let's get you out of here."_

_This was the day that changed her life forever. It was the day she was sent into the system, the first day that she didn't spend listening to Laura and Jack screaming obscenities at each other and locking her away for hours at a time. And little did Sara know, was that she had just changed her mother's life as well. It was during that year that Laura Sidle was sent to prison. Jack cheated his way out of everything. Earlier that morning he left Laura for some woman in Arizona and after that it was a mystery; what happened to him. Sara only knew that she would probably never see the two of them again and for that, she was glad._

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A/N

Next chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and reviewing! D


	10. Flashback 2

Disclaimer: still don't own csi, never have and never will

Thanks for reading and reviewing D

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_She sat there at her desk, reading silently, as was the rest of the class. It was usually like this; her sitting there silently, reading and studying until the last bell at the end of the day rang and then she'd walk to the park or to the library. It was always like this, it had been for the past two and a half years, but today was on of those days. _

_Instead of walking to the library or reading in the park, she walked back to the house of which she currently resided and stuck the key to the house in the keyhole of the doorknob, but just as she was ready to turn it and unlock the door, it opened from the inside. A small boy who also lived here let her and told her something._

"_Michael wants to speak with you in his room," he said, his voice was shaky and Sara was starting to think something was wrong, but this place had seemed perfect, well at least it was a lot better than the Bed and Breakfast that she called home before. _

_She strode down the hallway to the girls' room first to set down her things and see if the younger girls arrived back from elementary school, but none had so she proceeded down the hall and to the first door on the left; Michael's room. Ever since her parents were arrested, she was sent from one place to another. Currently, she resided in southern California, just west of Los Angeles and she lived with six other kids that were somewhat around her own age. Michael Bradford was their, caretaker, so to say. He owned everything they had, save for whatever they had brought with them from where they lived before, but for most it was a change of clothes and some toys or pictures. _

_Those who only saw Michael outside of the house would have though he was a generous man, doing good for the poor kids who were so unfortunate, but to those who knew him, he was a man just like the people these kids had hoped to stay away from. He was violent, though never because of alcohol, and didn't understand that the kids were there to live happily and get a good education. To him, the kids were there to make **him** happy and that was their one, soul purpose. _

_She knocked on the door and heard him mumble something, "Sara? You come in here; I'd like a word with you."_

_She froze; whenever a kid went in there alone, they never came out the same as when they had entered. She knew that nothing good would come out of her going in there, but she had to do it. If she didn't go in there, she knew she would have it coming to her whenever he found out that she'd fled and might tell someone what he did to them. So, reluctantly, she entered._

_And there he was, waiting for her just behind the door, ready to pounce when she came walking through the door._

"_Don't you make a sound, you hear? It'll do you no good, screaming out to those kids out there who don't give a damn about you. They won't listen, oh but I care about you Sara. I sure do." As much as she wanted to scream right then, she knew she shouldn't. She had to give herself up to him; she let him do what he did to her, she had no choice._

_When he got done with her, he left her on the bed and locked her in the room. But as he left, she nearly broke down. Michael was wrong, outside of that room she knew that the kids were worried about her, just as much as she was worried about them whenever he called them in there. Whether he did this to the other kids or did something worse, she wasn't sure, but she knew that she couldn't do anything about it._

_Quietly, she put her clothes back on and returned to her room and after an hour and a half, she fell asleep into a world of nightmares._

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_After that one time, she was called in that room once or twice more before she left that house, but even so, nobody but the other kids knew what went on in there. She left that house; inside she was happy and afraid. Even though she was leaving that terror, she could only imagine what other person would be put through that hell after she was gone. She though about how she had carved her name into the wall behind the bed and the dates she had been called into the room; other girls did the same, just to record how much horror they withstood and by the time she left, she had made a few friends that way. Some left with her, some stayed. It was a sad day, a day of leaving one pit of Hell, only to be relocated to another._

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A/N anyone here go on CSI:Guide's forums? Just wondering

Yeah next chapter will be up soon because I can't stop writing this D


	11. Flashback 3

Disclaimer: No, nope, notta, nuh-uh, don't even think about asking me… the answer is no… I do not, will not, and will never own CSI.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.

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_Finally she was moved to a quaint old house in Northwestern California. It was run by an older woman; someone who Sara believed wouldn't be able to do anything to harm her. For the first time, she was right. She was finally somewhere where she could be happy and get a good education and life so when she finally turned eighteen, she would be able to do something and become what she wanted to become. _

_Instead of hiding behind books and work, Sara grew fond of the old woman that cared for her like the mother she wished she had. Her name was Addy Birkwood and she was sixty-seven years old and a mother of three who had years ago grown up and moved to wherever their lives led them. Her life as a mother for forty years taught her to love and cherish children and so she decided to do something with the rest of her life to help other children. She had especially grown fond of Sara and they often sat on the porch, talking or even reading together. _

"_Good afternoon, Sara," Addy smiled as Sara walked off the bus and came into the yard._

"_Hey Addy, and same to you. Gosh, I can't believe its June already," Sara replied to the kind woman._

"_Yes, June already and your graduation is in three days. I don't believe how much I've come to enjoy your company over the years and now you'll be leaving me to go off to college. I don't know what I'll do."_

"_Don't worry," Sara stepped onto the porch and started swinging on the swing, "I'll write every chance I get and I'll come and visit."_

_Little did Sara know, that she would go off to college and by the time break came around, she wouldn't visit; Abby Birkwood died the next spring of a heart attack. She came to the funeral and it was one of the saddest days of her life. For hours, she sat on the porch sing, rocking back and forth, crying silently and wondering why these things always happened to her and no one else. _

_That day faded away into her memory as the house was soon sold and Sara went back off to College for another few years. _

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_There she was, twenty one years old and in her sophomore year at Harvard. She had one or two close friends and very few acquaintances, but she wasn't big on going out and partying. She was putting Addy's money to good use and making sure she got the best education she could get. She was going to be something in life, to make up for everything that ever went wrong in her childhood. Little did she know, she was digging herself into a hole that she would never get out of._

_It was a Autumn night that year that Sara went to her first party with one of her friends named Elizabeth. She was picked up around eight thirty and she and her friend drove to the guy's house._

_Sara had never experienced anything like it; now this is not meant to be in a positive connotation. With the loud music, excessive alcohol and drug use, and dirty dancing Sara hid herself in the corner. If she had been out there dancing, she would have been trampled, either that or she was sure she would have had a beer bottle jammed down her throat by some drunken guy. It was something she'd rather not do, so after an hour and a half, she simply walked out the door, everyone else was too drugged to notice anything, let alone her walking out the door._

_Sighing, she made her way to her friend's car and drove it home. There, she took to studying, since she was sure she wouldn't be able to sleep after what she'd just experienced._

**_What did I do to deserve a life like this? Who knows what happened to my parents, Michael soiled my body countless times, and Addy died on me before I even went to college, but now I have nobody at all. Even back then there was someone there, whether they were for better or for worse, my parents still gave me a house to live in, at Michael's place I had companions to share my misery, and Addy acted as my mother. Now there is nobody, no friends to confide in, no parent to write to or call, nothing. _**

_Finally, when she thought she had someone, she was wrong. He turned out to be an ass who just wanted to use her, who wanted to use her like Michael did. After that incident, that was it for her. She wouldn't let people do that to her anymore._

_The years went by and she would graduate and deciding that she didn't have a life here, she went back to California for more school. There, she met Grissom and later she would move to Las Vegas, hoping that there she could better herself and her life by meeting knew people and possibly finding a relationship she could be happy in. _

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She remembered it all as if she were some other person watching some movie in her mind. At first, she was even amazed that she remembered everything, but with a life like that, it was hard to forget.

After finishing up everything she needed to get off her chest, she took a deep breath and said, "If Richard is still out there, I don't know what else he wants with me. He got his revenge; he finished what he had tried to do before though I don't know why _I_ was so important. I'm probably not the only one he's done thing to. I… let's just… can we leave here?"

"Yeah, I'll call the hotel and tell them that we probably won't be returning tonight, if at all this week and then tell Sam we're going to try and find somewhere to stay overnight."

"Thanks." There she sat, staring at the bright, white hallways filled with medical personnel and equipment. Seeing it all sent a shiver down her spine. It seemed so eerie to be in the middle of a place of birth and death and that she had been there in one of those rooms being searched and invaded even more so than when Richard had raped her. How many times had she imagined herself in this position and now it was real. Instead of her damaged body on a bed from being in a car accident from DUI, she had been sitting on a table and someone was doing a rape kit on her, instead of her on some unlucky victim. Once again in her life, she was the victim. As much as she had always never wanted to be a victim, she realized that she always had been. Ever since the day she was born, it was just going to be.


	12. Grissom's thoughts

Disclaimer: Don't own CSI, never have, never will.

Yay, this weekend was fun. It snowed about a foot or more and my friend came over to hang out. We made snow angels and climbed trees, after watching Rose Red and IT. That was fun. I had off of school on Monday so I stayed home and watched The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I worked on this last week and now today, since I've finished my Karyotyping lab that's due tomorrow. Well, have fun reading and please review )

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They got in the car, Grissom on the drivers side, and pulled out of the parking lot. As the started down the road, raindrops fell onto the windshield and Sara leaned her head against the window. As she closed her eyes, Grissom spoke.

"Sara, you know, you can't blame yourself for all of this. There's no way such an intelligent and beautiful girl can be blamed for such things."

She turned her head towards him and simply smiled; her first smile since they arrived in New York. Putting her head back against the cold window, she drifted off to sleep.

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_How long had I been wondering what caused her DUI, how long? How can such a troubled young woman come to be the one I fall in love with? And after all I did to her… I caused her life to be miserable even more than it was. After she had been abused and raped, I shunned her and cast her aside. Those times I saw her, staring into nothingness, into her thoughts and how I wondered what was going on in her mind! I caused her to go out and get drunk and nearly kill herself! All because I was afraid of my emotions, I nearly caused someone to die! _

He found that his attention was falling from the road before him and he made himself snap out of it. Luckily, just up ahead he spotted a gas station and diner.

Gently putting a hand on Sara's shoulder, he said, "Hey Sara, wake up…"

She around shortly after and yawned, "Hmm?"

"There's a gas station up here and a diner. Do you want to stop and get some coffee or something to eat?"

She looked down the road and saw the diner and then noticed that she was thirsty, "Sure, I might fall asleep on the table, but I haven't eaten in a while."

Grissom nodded and pulled into the gas station lot. "Do you want to go in and get a table while I get the car filled up?"

Sara looked outside and saw that the diner was nearly empty, "Uh, can I just wait in the car with you?"

"Yeah, sure."

He got the tank filled up and then pulled into a parking spot by the entrance and they got out. They walked up the cement steps and into the front entrance of the place. It was a small diner, just about eight booths in the front windows and a counter behind where an old man and woman sat two stools apart. They were seated in the corner booth, which had a black tabletop and blue seats, along with a small jukebox by the window. Grissom got out a quarter and let Sara put on a slow, relaxing song for them to listen to. Finally, a young woman in black slacks with a white top came over to take their order.

"I'll have a hot tea with lemon and a waffle, please," Sara said.

"And I'll have a cup of coffee and a toasted bagel with butter." He handed the waitress the menus and then turned back to Sara.

"I know you've been through a lot these past days and if you want, I can see when the next flight back to Vegas is and we can go back. I doubt you'll be up to the seminar tomorrow anyway."

She sighed, "I don't know, maybe. What would everyone say if we came back four days early and they heard we didn't even attend the seminar? They'd get suspicious and would eventually find out. I'm not sure I want them to ever find out. Perhaps it'd better if we wait; besides, I think I just want to rest tomorrow."

"Yeah, but that man is still out there, you do realize that, right? I don't want you to get hurt again, Sara." He took her hand in his. "You don't know how worried I was about you."

Before she could say anything, the waitress returned with their drinks and shortly after with their food.

"It only took you three years to accept my offer of getting dinner... even though its more like breakfast and _you_ asked me." She laughed. "But anyway, uh, does this mean….?"

"After all these years I think I'm finally becoming brave enough to accept my feelings, so, yes, I think it does mean that I've finally figured out what to do about _this_."

They finished up and Grissom paid. Now, once again, they were back in the car and, once again, looking for somewhere to stay the night. After half an hour, Sara fell asleep again and Grissom picked up his cell phone and phoned his friend.

"Hey Sam, how's everything going?" He asked, keeping his voice quiet as not to wake Sara.

"We haven't found him yet, but we have the county on alert and looking for this guy. As far as we know, he out there somewhere and probably dangerous. I swear, Gil, we're doing our best here."

"Thanks. Hey, do you know where Sara and I can spend the night. It probably wouldn't be comfortable or safe for us back at the hotel, especially since we don't know what this man is doing."

"There's a smaller hotel just off of route 71. I'll get some police officers to follow you and keep an eye on you guys."

"Thanks, but don't broadcast where we are, the last thing we need is this guy finding out where we're staying."

"Yeah, look I have to go, I'm taking the evidence I have to the nearest crime lab to see what I can get and I'll let the police know where you two are and I'll give them your cell numbers to keep in touch. Call me in the morning."

"Bye Sam." He disconnected the line and then drove on down route 71 till he saw a small hotel, "East Coast Sunrise Hotel." There, he pulled in and Sara and he got a room for the night.

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They walked up the stairs and found their room. It was small, but it would do. There was one bed and a TV on top of a dresser directly across from it. A bathroom with a bathtub/shower was located to the left, along with a small closet with a safe inside.

Grissom turned the TV onto a news station and turned down the volume. Sara, who was half asleep already, went in the bath and got on an old t-shirt and sweatpants and then lay down on the bed. Grissom lay next to her and he turned the light off that sat on the night table next to them. " 'Night Sara, sweet dreams," he whispered to her.

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A/N Another chapter done and ending on a more positive note.

Thanks for all the reviews… D makes me so happy to come online and see that you are all enjoying this story… I hope to update ASAP


	13. The note

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, nor make any profit what so ever from writing this… I write this for all the people who review and for my own enjoyment as well.

A/N Thanks go out to all my reviewers! Thanks for reading and I'm glad you enjoy it!

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The sun rose early that morning and when Sara awoke, Grissom was sitting at the small round table in the corner of the room, drinking a cup of coffee and looking out the window. For a while, she just looked at him and when she was finally fully awake, she leaned up quietly and pulled the covers off of her.

"Good morning," Grissom said, his eyes still transfixed out the window. "How do you take your coffee?"

"Hey," she yawned, "Black, with two sugars, thanks."

He simply nodded and she went into the bathroom to dress. Although the past few days had been mild, the weather channel which now played upon the TV announced that the local temperature was somewhere around the low thirties and even though she enjoyed the cold weather every once and a while, she bundled up. After brushing her teeth and fixing her hair into a ponytail, she pulled on a pair of jeans, a black top, and a sweatshirt on top of that.

When she came out, Gill asked, "Sam called earlier, said that they haven't caught him yet, but it won't be long now. Shortly after, I called the hotel and they said that the buildings were thoroughly checked if we wish to return. They also informed me that whatever is going on today was postponed until one PM."

Sipping at the steaming cup of coffee, she replied, "I'm glad, but I'm not sure if I want to do anything today. I think I'll stay and rest and think, but please, don't let me stop you from going out back to the hotel or to see your friend, Sam. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, let alone this to happen and me to ruin your plans."

"Trust me; you aren't ruining anything, Sara, and I might go down to see Sam, but most likely not the seminar, not today. I was thinking, if you want some company…" He said shyly.

"Like I said, I don't want to keep you locked up in here, feeling like you have to be here, because you don't. I'm perfectly fine by myself…" she said, though secretly inside, she wished he would stay, even if they didn't talk or do anything, it was simply his presence that gave her this feeling of security.

He got up and three his empty coffee cup away and then sat back down again. "I was thinking, I'm not really up to doing much today either. This was supposed to be a break from work and I haven't had a vacation in a while. I'd rather spend my day here." He left out _with you_, but inside that's what he wanted to say, "I'm sure there's something we can do. Besides, I think I need to talk to you about something.

"About?" she asked, though she had some idea in her mind what he meant.

"I think I need to explain some things…" he said, "But, first I think I should like to have some breakfast, care to join me?"

"I'm not sure…you go ahead. Can I take a rain check?" She asked. Right now, her mind was flowing in though and she needn't any distractions. She needed to think things through and she was still hiding something from Grissom that she wasn't sure of how to tell him.

"Sure," he said, "I'll be back soon."

"See you then."

_Sidle, when are you going to tell him? You can't hold it from him much longer; it's been bottled up inside and its not going to be able to stay bottled up much longer. You're going to end up hurting yourself if you don't tell anyone, don't you see. _In her mind, she was arguing with herself. _I'll tell him soon. _She thought. _But as long as he's out, I think I should write down what I'm going to say._

_**Grissom,**_

**_I need to explain everything that went on those nights that Richard had me, see I heard some things that I didn't want to hear and I almost made myself think I had heard the man wrong or that it was simply my imagination, but it wasn't. Before he…raped me… he told me how he found me. It scared me to death to here that my father had been watching me for years. Apparently, my father, after he deserted my mother, kept a close watch on me. Richard told me that he and my father met at a local bar one night. He asked Richard if he knew who I was and even though I wasn't even an acquaintance to Richard, I must have been in one of his classes. My father told Richard that I ruined his life and my mother's life and I didn't deserved to be off so well after all the pain I had caused them. He told Richard that he could have me to do whatever he wanted. He wanted me to suffer, to pay back to what I had done. _**

_**But Richard had failed and I moved on to Berkley and later to Las Vegas. My father had stopped following me, he was getting old. However, when he saw Sam, you, and me in the car going to the hotel, he called up Richard and told him where I was. He finally got his chance to make me pay for the trouble I have put him through… Richard found me and took me down to the basement. He raped me and if you hadn't found me… he had gone off to get my father… **_

Tears fell from her eyes and then she heard someone coming near the door; Grissom. She panicked; she ran to the bathroom and locked the door. Grissom didn't need to see her like this or to worry about her. Slumping against the corner of the wall, she threw the paper aside and closed her eyes, hoping that maybe when she opened them everything would be okay.

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The door opened and she heard someone's voice, but it wasn't Grissom's.

"Sara?" Sam called, "You in here?"

For a moment, she was glad it wasn't Grissom that would find her in the state that she was currently in. "I-I'm in the bathroom," she choked, "I'll be out in a second."

Wiping her eyes, she unlocked the door and walked out, "What's wrong?"

"The police officers outside say they saw a man fitting the description you gave us prowling around here. It's not safe here… you okay?"

She nodded, "Let me grab my stuff, there's not much."

With Sam, she exited the room and headed out to his car; she did not realize that she had left her note to Grissom behind…

A/N: I'll leave it off there I suppose. Don't worry though, I'll update soon. D Thanks again for reading and reviewing!


	14. Bugs

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI and do not profit from writing this.

A/N Thanks for reading… hope you like it.

Sam was driving and they were headed back to the hotel where Grissom had been eating breakfast with an officer whom Sam had befriended. He dropped her off at the front entrance and then quickly pulled out to return back to the other police officers to help with the search.

She walked in, feeling odd and as if all eyes were on her. She could feel employees of the hotel looking at her and conversing with a neighbor. She could only imagine their words of pity and she hated every bit of it. She had felt that from people all her life; pity. She had enough of it. Quickly, she found Grissom and took a seat next to him.

"Hey," she said.

"I'm glad you're alright. Here," he said, "meet Trevor and Daniel, two officers that I met this morning." He motioned towards the two men seated opposite him and Sara.

The man on the left spoke first, "Nice to meet you and I assure you, our people are doing everything we can to help catch that guy."

"Thank you." She said and then turned to Grissom, "I hope you don't mind, but I was rushed out of the other hotel and some of your things are still back there."

"It's fine," he said, shrugging, "I'll pick it up later. Now, Daniel, you said you're into bugs and nature. What type of insects do you have around here?"

_Ah, Grissom and his bugs. For someone feeling pretty down low, bugs just might be able to keep my mind off of things. _She though. For another hour the conversation with Daniel and Trevor had been able to keep her happier than she had been in a while.

"Hey, you'll have to show me that book sometime, Daniel, I'd love to check out some of the insects of the northeast," said Grissom getting up from the table, "Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to head back to the hotel and grab my stuff. Sara, you don't have anything there you need me to bring back, do you?"

"Nope, I took everything when Sam came around, thanks though."

"I'll be back soon."

He left her there with Trevor and Daniel.

"I'm glad you like bugs, that's about the only thing Grissom is interested in, except for work. If you hadn't been interested in insects as well, he would have been really bored. So, how is everything up here these days? I went to college up here years ago, but haven't been back since."

"Well, it certainly isn't like Las Vegas up here. Not much excitement out in the country and not even so much in New York City. There have been a few plays opening up on Broadway that I've been dying to go see sometime, but I doubt I'll get around to it." Trevor said.

"I've never been to New York City, during college was always busy, never got a chance to come down and see everything," Sara said. "The most I saw of it was the statue of Liberty on my way up from Philadelphia."

Trevor went into detail explaining how everything looked and the different stores and places to see.

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He made his way down to the other hotel to pick up his belongings. It didn't take long, no more than fifteen minutes and he spent a little while talking to Sam before heading up to the room. Inside, he picked up his things and then, as he was headed out the door, spotted something on the sink. It was a sheet of paper.

Thinking it was something of Sara, as he was sure it did not belong to him, he picked it up. Stunned to find it was a note and also that it was addressed to him, his eyes could not leave the paper until he had finished scanning it. Astonished, he crinkled the paper in disbelief, not willing to see what he had just read and what was playing over and over again in his mind.

_Sara had been keeping this all inside, no wonder she had been so depressed. It must have been hell enough for her to have been raped, but to find that her father was behind I;, the man that had ruined her life so many years ago. This morning, _he thought, _was she really happy and cheerful, or was that just a façade. What else is she hiding? _

Now, his good mood was deteriorating rapidly. He didn't know what to feel. He was so…_concerned_ for Sara, but he didn't know whether to trust her. For years, she had hidden her whole life from him. How would he ever know if she was telling the truth? But, he just realized that he had also lied to her, probably just as many times as she to him. He had never told her the real reason why he invited her to Las Vegas or that he loved her, but he was so worried about getting hurt again, not just putting his job on the line. Infact, that last bit, he now realized, had made him sound so selfish. Now feeling like a fool, he decided that he would have to talk to her, about everything, when he got back to the other hotel.

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"Oh, it sounds beautiful," Sara said with delight, picturing the tall buildings and the lights. Even though she was quite used to the fancy lights, New York City sounded amazing.

"You know, you haven't told us what Las Vegas is like…" said Daniel, wide-eyed, "I'm not much of a gambler, but I've heard its one hell of a city."

"Well, I never came to Las Vegas for the lights and gambling, but I suppose it is an amazing sight for someone who's never been there, the Strip anyway. There are rows of casinos all lit up along the Strip. Mandalay Bay, Luxor, New York New York, MGM Grand, just to name a few. And then there's Freemont Street which is blocked off to all vehicles. Its a few blocks of sidewalk which sits under a big screen of lights. Every hour they have a show and all the vacationers stare up and watch the light show as music plays. Actually, it is a cool thing to see." She explained, "Outside the Strip is where everyone lives and where the desert and mountains are. We get quite a few calls out there, in the middle of nowhere sort of."

"Wow," Trevor said, picturing Sara's description in his head.

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Grissom pulled back into the hotel parking lot, not sure whether he wanted to go in and see Sara or not. He was so worried about her, how was he supposed to confront her and explain that he had read that note?

A/n another chapter written… will update soon… thanks for the reviews… as for now… I'm going to go get some ice cream… D


	15. Richard

Disclaimer: I don't make any profit from writing this and I do not own CSI.

A/N Thanks for reviews.. D they are much appreciated.

-

He walked into the lobby and glanced over to see Sara still sitting there at the table with Trevor and Daniel. There was no way he could go over there and ask about the note and tell her that he read it; he wasn't going to ruin her good mood. She was smiling; he wouldn't make her cry again. So, instead of heading over there, looking very confused and concerned, he put on his best "good mood" face and joined in on the conversation.

"So, are we still talking about bugs or did you change the subject after I left," Grissom asked as he sat down next to Sara once more.

"Actually, we were talking about New York City and Las Vegas," he chuckled, "And yes, I'm afraid the subject did change after you left."

"Well," Trevor started, "It's nearly nine-thirty. I suppose me and Daniel should be headed back; we were only supposed to have a short break, but it turned into an hour and a half one."

"Yeah, we'd better get going. Hey, Mr. Grissom, if you want to chat some more here's my cell phone number. I can lend you that book. In fact, you could keep it if you like; I've read it so many times I just about know it by heart." He laughed, "Talk to you later."

"Nice to meet you," Sara said and Grissom said goodbye as well.

Now the table was quiet. Sara was drinking her second cup of coffee and Grissom had picked up a newspaper from the front desk earlier and he was now reading that. After a few moments of silence, Sara couldn't take it anymore.

She broke the silence, "Any news on Richard?" If took her a while to say, but she said it.

"They think he's close by, but haven't found him yet. Sara, are you going to be okay. If you want to talk about anything, I'm right here…"

She froze; she had left that note, or speech to him in the hotel room, he must have found it. It was no use to deny it now. She did have to tell him something, she just didn't want to. "I know… How many days left until our flight back?"

"Two and a half; if you want to go home I can call up and get an earlier flight. We could check out today if you'd like, I understand."

"No no. I'm alright, two days aren't that bad. Plus, what about the whole reason we came here. You should go to the seminar, don't let my problems invade on your life."

For a moment he thought this would be a good time to tell her that he read the note, but he didn't want to talk to her about it in public.

"I need to talk to you. Could we go to my room?" he asked.

Sighing, she agreed. It was time for her to get all of this off her chest and to face her demons.

He closed the door behind him and poured both of them glasses of water. "I don't know if you intended me to, but I found that note in the other hotel."

"I thought so," she said, "Look, I just… I don't mean to… I don't know…"

"Don't tell me not to bother with you and that you're fine. Look, I need to apologize."

"For what?"

"I understand everything now and why you've always done the things you've done. I saw how you reacted to that case with the two neglected children and five years ago with the rape case. I should have known, however I don't take it back that you can't get too emotional with cases, but I see where you're coming from. For someone who's supposed to be intelligent, I guess I lack people skills, emotional skills."

She was a bit surprised. "I think I'm going to go lay down. Do you mind if I just stay here in your room?" She couldn't believe she just said that.

"No," he said.

_Grissom, you moron. _He thought, _it took you five years to figure everything out, five years to admit you loved her, five years to maybe get things right, but is it too late? Did she just push you away even after you said all that? You're too late…too late…"_

Sara fell asleep on his bed shortly after the conversation and even though he'd gotten up not too long ago, he felt himself getting tired as well. Leaving her alone, he grabbed a pillow and made a bed out of the couch for himself.

-

Somewhere in the vast darkness of his mind there was a ringing. As he slowly started to wake up, it grew louder; his cell phone. He opened his eyes and grabbed it off the coffee table.

"Grissom," he yawned into the phone.

"Hey, it's Sam. I think we have the guy. He's being brought to the station for questioning, just thought I'd let you know."

"Thanks," Grissom said, the tiredness drifting out of his system, "I'll be right there."

"You going to bring Sara?" Asked Sam.

"I don't think so. She's asleep and I don't think she needs to deal with this right now."

"Alright, see you soon then."

Grissom changed clothes into something less wrinkled and quickly wrote a note.

_At the station with Sam. If you need anything you know how to reach me. Feel better._

_-Grissom._

He left it on the nightstand by the clock and next to the bed Sara was sleeping on. Quietly, he slipped out of the room and headed over to the station.

He located the room where Sam and a local Sheriff were questioning the suspect. He watched from out in the hallway.

The Sheriff began the interrogation, "Please state your name."

The man sitting on the other side of the table responded, "Richard Daniels."

"How do you know Sara Sidle?"

He knew he couldn't get around anything now; he'd have to give it all up. Besides, he had gotten what he wanted, hadn't he? Hadn't he finished the task he'd set out to do nearly ten years before? "We went to college together," he said simply, "Nearly ten years ago."

"Did you have a relationship with her?"

"I felt sorry for her; she was always alone and didn't have any real friends. She always seemed depressed, so I thought I would be kind and be someone who loved her."

"Did anything happen in result of that?"

"Nothing," he said, "We dated and when she graduated, she moved away. I stayed here."

"How did you find out she was coming up here this week and why did you come?"

"I know someone who let me in on the information and I came to finish something between me and her. It was something that happened a long time ago."

"You mean rape her?

"You have the evidence, don't you? You know what I did or did not do. Why are you asking me if you already know the answer?"

"So you admit to raping her?"

"Yes."

Grissom was still standing out in the hallway and although he could barely hear the people inside the room talking, he was reading their lips. He wanted to run in there and kill the man with his bare hands, but he resisted the urge to.

-

Sara woke up at 7:30, two hours after Grissom left. She looked around at the empty room and soon found his note.

Quickly, she got out her cell phone and dialed his number.

"Grissom," said the voice on the other line.

"Where'd you go?" She asked.

"I'm at the police station; we've got a Richard Daniels in for questioning."

She was silent. Inside, she was glad this man was finally caught and would pay for what he'd done to her and wouldn't ever get a chance to do this to any other woman, but she didn't want to deal with everything right now; she just wanted to go back to her apartment in Las Vegas and forget about everything.

"He's given in; it's over."

She was still silent.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah…"

"I'll be back at the hotel in about an hour."

"See you then." She hung up the phone and just sat there, staring at the walls and the floor; her mind wandering.

_A/N Thanks for reviews… I think I might do a short fic while I work on this one… I need to think things through to see where I'm going with this, but it will be updated ASAP D_


	16. Back to Vegas

Disclaimer: Don't own CSI and do not profit from writing this or any of my other fics.

A/N Thanks for reviews. I'm glad you enjoy reading this! D

Last Chapter! (I think) Please tell me if you want it to end like this…. I can change it… I'm not sure if I like it, but…

-

There she sat, wondering what to do until Grissom got back. Finally, she got up, fixed her hair which was a mess now, and went up to her own room. It would only take her a few minutes to go up there and come back, but she still had the thought of Richard up there, waiting for her to get out of the elevator. However, the second floor corridor was empty and she quietly made her way to her room. She grabbed her bag and reached past the clothes and to the very bottom. There, a book lay, a butterfly book that Grissom gave her and that she always had with her. Pulling it out of the bag, she made her way back to Grissom's room and sat back down on the bed, knees tucked up to her chest and the book open in front of her.

Every page she read, she thought of Grissom. He reminded her of a butterfly in some ways. He is beautiful, but perhaps it is his beauty and intricate be-ing that is what keeps him so distant from the world, or at least from her. And every time he dares to come close to her, he ends up being frightened and flies away.

-

He put his room key in the door and turned the handle. "Sara?" he asked.

She must not have heard him, but he noticed that she was sitting on the bed, reading a book. Finally sensing his presence, she looked up, "Oh, hey." She quickly hid the book behind her.

"How are you?" he took off his coat and put it on a chair.

"Sorry about last night," she said, looking away from him.

"It's alright. What are you reading?" He changed the subject.

"Nothing, just a book," she pushed the book under the pillow further. She wondered how strange it would look if he saw her reading a book that he gave her years ago.

Confused, he said, "Well, do you want to go out and get something to eat or do something else?"

"Sure. So, they found him?"

"Yeah, he's given himself in, but didn't mention anything else. At least its all over now."

Inside she was saying, it will never be over; my whole life I've had to live with the memories, they'll never go away, but she said, "Yeah."

-

A few days later, Grissom and Sara were only a day away from going back to Vegas. Before they left, though, Grissom decided to read over that nature book his new friend lent him and he made Sara take a walk with him so he could show her all the northeastern insects.

The ground was slightly wet, due to the melting snow from two weeks ago; however the weather was nearing 60 degrees. Sara wore blue jeans and a blue hooded sweater and Grissom wore khakis pants and a black parka with Forensics across the back. Finally, they got to spend some of their vacation time relaxing. Quickly, they found a trail through the woods and along the way; Grissom collected bugs and pointed out the different insects to Sara. This, apparently, was the only thing that was able to get her out of her somewhat depressed mood.

"Seems like you're feeling better," Grissom stated, and then pointed out a stick bug that was sitting the branch of some bush.

She smiled and then jumped a little as Grissom picked up the bug and placed it on her arm.

"It's not going to hurt you."

She laughed, "I know. I'm just not too fond of bugs."

-

After all that had happened, they were finally on their way back to Vegas, come to think of it, only three hours until they arrived at the airport and got back to their apartments and finally back to the lab. Sara sat there, instead of with her head in a book; her attention was focused on the clouds outside her window. Although it was all over, she couldn't help but be afraid of what was going to happen back in Vegas. Everyone at the lab was virtually clueless of what had gone on and she sure wasn't going to tell them anything.

"Grissom?" she turned towards him.

"Sara?" his head lifted out of the forensics journal he had in his hand.

"You won't tell anyone, right?"

"Trust me, not even Catherine will get any information out of me," he said.

"Thanks."

"So," he started, "Were you just getting around to reading the book or have you already?"

"Huh?" she tried to act like she didn't know what he was talking about.

"The butterfly book."

She smiled, "I know every word."

-

I don't know if I'm ending it like this or not. Tell me if you want me to continue... I suppose I'll be able to, but I've been having writer's block a little and ugh migraines. Well, please review. D ) D


	17. Talking to Greg

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, if I did…… GRISSOM WOULD NOT HAVE ASKED SOPHIA OUT TO DINNER! lol

A/N Thanks for reviews. Yeah thanks for the warning, GeekLoveFan. Don't want to have this removed. Well, on with the next chapter. D

-

The next night, Sara pulled into the lab parking lot and grabbed her bag from the empty passenger's seat to her right. She walked up to the building and put her stuff into her locker and then she headed to the break room to grab a coffee before finding someone else on the night shift to see what they missed this week. However, when she walked into the break room, she saw something quite out of place. There was Greg sitting there.

_He sure is early_, she thought.

"Hey Greggo," she said, "And would you mind telling me why you are grinning like an idiot?"

He replied, though as if trying to withhold information from her, "Hey, you're back."

"That all? I know you better than that. You're not telling me something."

"Okay, okay. You got me! Look," he pointed to a flowering plant over by the window. It had a white card beside it.

"Who's that for?" she asked.

"Your name is on the card. So, who are they from?" Greg asked, obviously extremely curious.

She walked over and opened the envelope, pulling out the small card.

"_Sara,_

_I hope it's not too late to accept that dinner invitation. I suppose I've finally figured out what to do about "this." I love you._

_From, _

_Grissom"_

"Well, what does it say? Who's it from?" Greg asked, staring at her intently, eyes opened wide.

She turned around to him and saw the look on his face, "Fine, fine, I'll tell you. It's from Grissom."

"Well, what did it say, then?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." She laughed and finally handed him the card, figuring he would find a way to get his hands on it sooner or later. "Can I trust you not to tell anyone?"

She could tell her was serious now, "I promise. This whole thing is safe with me."

"Thanks. I think it would be best if the whole lab didn't find out; at least, not right now. You're the greatest, Greg."

"Hey," he said, "So, anyway, how was the seminar in New York?"

"It was… uh…" she wasn't sure whether to tell him what actually happened, "It was... interesting. I think I just want to forget about it."

"Sorry," he replied shyly.

"Hey, Grissom's here. I think we should go get our assignments." Both of them followed Grissom to his office and stopped in the doorway.

"Hey Grissom," Greg waved.

"Nice to see you again, too, Greg," Grissom said, "I'm glad to be back. We have a DB in a townhouse down in Henderson."

"I'll go grab my jacket," Greg replied. "I'll meet you guys outside."

"Yeah, we'll be out in a second," Sara said and moved out of Greg's way and then sat in one of the chairs in front of Grissom's desk.

"Happy to be back?" Grissom asked Sara.

"Definitely," she started, "I missed the lab."

"I know what you mean."

"As for your question for the dinner invitation, no, it's not too late."

He smiled, "I was worried that I was too late and that you wouldn't give me another chance, but I'm glad I was wrong about that."

"You know, I don't think you could have ever been too late. Now," she looked out the window, "Greg's standing out there by the Tahoe and shift already started. I think we'd better go."

-

A/N I'll end this chapter here. Tell me when you want this to end or how you want this to end or any ideas you have. You guys rock D


	18. Willing to risk everything

Disclaimer: Did not, do not, will not own csi

Thanks again to everyone who has read my story D

-

It was nearing noon and Sara walked out of her apartment and locked the door behind her. Making her way to her car, she was smiling. For the first time since she came to Las Vegas, things were going the way she wanted them to. She pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant she was meeting him at and stepped out of her car.

Looking into the big window in front of the restaurant, she saw Grissom sitting at a table, waiting for her to arrive. Suddenly feeling worried, she wondered how long she had kept him waiting. Hastily, she made her way inside and found the table she saw Grissom at.

Before sitting down, she asked, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"Not at all," he replied, motioning for her to take a seat, "I've only been here a few minutes."

She smiled and took a seat across from him. A few moments later, a waitress came over and took their orders.

After she left, Grissom said, "Sam called last night. He wanted to know how you were doing."

"I'm glad we're here right now, having dinner, or uh lunch? I'm just so sorry that it took so long for, as Catherine said, "me to get my head out of the microscope."

"It's okay, I'm just glad you finally did. Hmm…" she thought back, "Do you remember when we first met?"

"How can I not? I saw you there and it was like love at first sight. I never felt that before. I didn't even have to speak to you; I just knew you were beautiful and intelligent."

"It was like an instant connection. But then it was all over and you went back to Vegas and my dream was over. When you called and asked me to come help out, I knew I had to come."

The waitress brought out their drinks and told them their meals would be out in a few moments.

"And I knew you were the person I had to call. Though, I suppose when you came and I saw you again and worked with you I became afraid. It would have been difficult and put both of us under stress and if something had happened and either one of us was suspended or fired… I didn't think that love would have been worth it. Love and people are my weaknesses."

She wasn't sure what she was hearing anymore; did he not just say he was head over heels in love with her, but now he was once more talking about the reason he denied her love before. She hoped that he wasn't about to do the same thing once more.

"But are you willing to risk that now?"

He leaned towards her and did something he'd never had the courage to do. He kissed Sara, not a short kiss, but not a long one either. It was just enough to tell her that he was willing to risk all the things he had been to afraid to risk before.

"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within." He said.

"Who said that?"

"James Baldwin. I hope that answers your question. Yes, Sara; I'm willing to risk everything."

He put his lips to hers once more and smiled when they pulled away. Sara smiled back, finally happy.

-

I know this chapter wasn't very long, but I hope you like it. This will probably be the end, unless I come back and add more later. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm writing another story right now. It already has three chapters, but I was waiting until I finished this story to put that up. It's probably going to be Greg/Sara (relationship or friendship) and ending up in GSR. Yeah, I'm trying something new. Well, please review. D You guys rock!


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